Warning

Never mix any bleach with ammonia, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, or rubbing alcohol.

Any of these combinations will cause dangerous fumes.

The liquid version is the most common, but a dry formula is also available.

Bottles of bleach next to a basket of laundry and linens

​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Both must be diluted with water for safe use on fabrics.

Test Fabric for Colorfastness

Before you use chlorine bleach on a garment, test the fabric forcolorfastness.

Add bleach to an automatic dispenser or the washer water before adding the laundry.

Infographic on how to use bleach on clothes

The Spruce

Add laundry detergent as you would normally.

Use Fresh Chlorine Bleach for Best Results

Liquid chlorine bleach has a limited shelf life.

Over time, it loses its effectiveness due to exposure to light and air.

Someone swabbing bleach on the seam of a garment with a cotton swab

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

It has a variety of uses.

Oxygen bleach works more slowly than harsher chlorine bleach, and it has no disinfecting qualities to kill bacteria.

However, having patience when using oxygen bleach will yield great results.

Someone adding chlorine bleach to a washer dispenser

​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Even though some detergents include oxygen bleach, use a full oxygen-bleach formula to boost your regular detergent.

It’s most commonly available at pharmacies in concentrations of 3 percent to 6 percent in a water-based solution.

Add bleach to an automatic dispenser or run a cup into the washer water before adding the laundry.

Someone checking the expiration date on a bottle of bleach

​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Add laundry detergent as you would normally.

However, be mindful to use each bleach on the right fabrics correctly.

You also don’t want to overbleach clothing, especially with harsher chlorine bleach.

Containers of oxygen bleach and linens

​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Then, launder the item as usual.

Excessive heat from an iron can cause a yellow hue on bleached parts of a garment.

It’s also possible to scorch a bleached part of a garment with a hot iron.

Someone adding oxygen bleach to an empty washer tub

​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

(On the flip side, it’s possible for you to sometimesremove scorch marks using bleach.)

Dilution is essential, making sure the bleach dissolves evenly in the wash.

It depends on which pop in of bleach you are using.

Garments soaking in a tub with bleach and a container of powder bleach

​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Add chlorine bleach or hydrogen peroxide to an automatic dispenser or the washer water before adding the laundry.

Add powdered oxygen bleach to the empty washer tub or the wash water before adding clothes.

you might add 3/4 cup for an average-size load of liquid chlorine bleach.

adding hydrogen peroxide to a washer dispenser

​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Cleaning and Disinfecting With Bleach.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dangers of mixing bleach with cleaners.

Washington State Department of Health.